It is no secret that cannabis is restricted in certain parts of the world, and although every grower loves the sweet, dank smell of their plants, local law enforcement and nosey neighbours might harbour different opinions. Even if you are growing in an American state with laws that are in your favour, you might still want to take measures to disguise the smell emanating from your grow operation in order to avoid any potential trouble with the federal government.

So, you have an indoor grow that’s looking beautiful and healthy, you’ve put in a lot of work in order for your crop to survive and thrive. But now your ladies are starting to give off an immaculate aroma that fills you with excitement for harvest time. But this far into the grow, it would be both troublesome and highly disappointing for somebody who does not approve to come along and throw a spanner in the works. The smell of your crop is probably the most obvious giveaway, however there are numerous ways to ensure your grow operation will stay fully covert and private by making sure such pleasant smells don’t start to leak out of your grow space and give the game away.

CHOOSE YOUR STRAINS WISELY

Although this option won’t work entirely independent of other measures, and also places a rather strict limit on the massive diversity and variety of strains growers have access to, it is a good option for people who are growing in particularly risky conditions. Certain strains give off considerably less odour than others, so choosing to grow one of these will add another line of defence to ensuring your home grow remains entirely personal. Among these strains are Northern Lights, Blue Mystic, Polar Express and Papaya.

CARBON FILTERS/SCRUBBERS

Carbon filters are pretty much a must for anybody hoping to mask the potent skunky scent of their grow room to inhabitants living in close proximity. There are two types of carbon filters suitable for different sizes of grow operations. Granular filters are suitable for small scale grow rooms, but if you are cultivating quite a large crop you will need to opt for a block filter that has a greater carbon surface area and increased density that will successfully filter out detectable dankness.

An important factor to remember when obtaining a filter is to make sure it is capable of filtering the amount of air than you need it for. This is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). The fan that you use to push or pull air through this filter will also need to be of the same CFM calibre to make sure that the filter can handle the amount of air being sent through it to successfully remove any scent. Make sure the filters CFM is equal to or lesser than that of the selected fan. If you are purchasing a fan and filter separately, you will also need to make sure that they have the same duct diameter. Alternatively, you could simply purchase a pack that include two devices made to work together.

ODOUR NEUTRALISERS

Odour neutralisers work in a slightly different way to filters. Whereas filters act to scrub and remove the smell from the air on the other side of the grow room, odour neutralisers bind to the smell and neutralise it, erasing its trace. Such products include Ona Gel and One Blocks. Originally designed to control the smell of sewage, they work wonders at removing that skunky smell from the air of your apartment or house. As well as being effective, they are simply and easy to use and perfect for small grow operations. Simply open the lid of the jar and place it outside of the grow area as another mechanism of defence, somewhat of a safety net for the filter of your exhaust system. This will need to be replaced every so often, approximately every for to six weeks, be sure to keep them out all the way until your grow has come to an end. An important note here, it is important not to place these products within the actual grow space. They can actually alter or even reduce the smell/flavour of your cannabis if placed in the grow room.

AIR PURIFIERS

Some air purifiers simply are not strong enough to remove certain smells, but some models are sold with the intention of removing the smell from the air in the process of cleaning it. They are not sufficient in completely hiding the smell of your cannabis crop independently, however they can be used to augment your smell proofing system and are a good addition to a good quality filter and odour neutralisers.